Thursday, February 28, 2013

Announce you're writing a book, and you're in for as
much irritating advice as any first-time pregnant woman.

Have you noticed the
phenomenon that occurs when you confess you’re writing a book? It doesn’t
matter if you’re an established author with thirty-plus books under your belt,
or someone working on a first novel. Announce you’re writing a book, and you’re
in for as much irritating advice as any first-time pregnant woman.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

As most of you know, I’m an
engineer. It’s in my nature to appreciate things that fit within given
parameters. So it’s probably no surprise to know that of all the English
classes I’ve taken, I enjoyed grammar the most. All those hard and fast rules
make writing correctly something easy and more importantly, success definable.
It’s the closest someone can get to math in the English department.

At least that was my
belief…until my wife entered the world of publishing.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

By Laurie EppsWriters are artisans of words. Simply stated this might seem like a very straight-forward thing to say. But it is an advanced concept, and has been deliberated by Philosophers for centuries. But what is Art? My definition of art is anything that completes the creative process, and yields itself to that process. If I've learned nothing else by going to college, I've learned that everything in life has a process.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

The
past few years I’ve been doing a good bit of public speaking, and as many of
you know, it’s way out of my comfort
zone. As a matter of fact, if I wasn’t certain God was asking me to share what
He’s doing in my life, I wouldn’t be doing it.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Every week I post an image for you all to use online for free. I also took this photo while we were on vacation in late January.

As always you're welcome to use this image as you wish, online. You may post it to social media, your blog, or website. It's my gift to you. I only ask that you not remove my website watermark or use it in print.

Blessings to you all!
Edie

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all
~ Emily Dickinson

Friday, February 22, 2013

Can anyone tell me why my best thoughts come when I'm
lathered in soap and shampoo? Honestly, I've butchered my legs each time my
terrific idea came to mind while in the middle of a shave stroke.

Actually the answer to that question is simple, really. When we're away from
all the interruptions vying for our attention and our only concern is keeping
the suds out of our eyes and washing off the trail dust, our well of creativity
is allowed to bubble up to the surface.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

I talk to so many people
every week who worry needlessly about their privacy settings on Facebook.

I talk to even more who
should.

When anyone opens up a
Facebook account, Facebook has certain default settings that that are the same
for everyone. Some of these are ones that make me uncomfortable by allowing too
many people to see my information. And that’s saying something because I really
try to get found on the Internet, even with Facebook.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Today I’d like to share
something that’s happened with my wife’s writing. It turns out a lot of her
inspiration comes from us—her family and friends. While that sounds good, on
the surface, after you begin to unpack the real-life application it’s a little
messier than you might imagine.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

By Laurie EppsWe all have something we do even though we don't like it about ourselves. Some have no sense of direction, and have to allow extra time to be lost when going to a new place. I don't have time perception. I have to place prompts in my phone to make sure I stay on task. While this can be perceived as the worst flaw imaginable, it can be an excellent tool for us as writers. There is definitely a real upside to this malady, and I'll show you how to harness this idle time.

Monday, February 18, 2013

You may have noticed that Twitter has a language all its
own. It’s not hard to learn though, once you get the basics.

There are four ways
to utilize Twitter:

Tweet—This is also called updating your status. It’s something
everyone can see.

Reply—This answers an update and is directed to a specific person,
but everyone can see your answer. You do this with the @followed by the
person’s name. Example @EdieMelson. This is actually a clickable link so others
can click on @EdieMelson to get to their feed.

Direct Message—This is the Twitter version of a personal email. It
only goes to the person you’re addressing.

Retweet—This is a play on the word, repeat, and is when you
repost or repeat something someone else has tweeted.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

The
Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. Lord, Your love is eternal; do not abandon the work of Your hands. Psalm
138:8

I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m directionally
challenged. Oh, I can usually follow written directions. But give me a map—or
even worse a compass—and I’m liable to wander around for hours before I find my
way.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Every week I post an image for you all to use online for free. I took this photo the last of January while Kirk and I were on vacation. It truly is from the back side of a waterfall. Anyone want to guess where exactly I was when I took it?

As always you're welcome to use this image as you wish, online. You may post it to social media, your blog, or website. It's my gift to you. I only ask that you not remove my website watermark or use it in print.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Last Wednesday on my blog, FindingTrue North, I talked about being productive in little snippets of time. In
the world in which we live as writers, we don’t have the luxury of secluding
ourselves from life while we hammer out a word count for months on end. It’s
just not possible.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Today I'm excited to have my good friend, Alton Gansky on my blog for an interview about his latest publishing venture. I know you're all as familiar with his books as I am, but today we're going to hear about an opportunity to revisit some of our favorites!

EM: For those
who don’t know you, give us a little of your publishing background.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

By Laurie EppsChoosing a college program is a daunting task for anyone, and with the recent surge of interest in Mathematics and Science degrees you may think that writing positions are obsolete. But yet, someone is writing all the media mail trying to attract you to these colleges, and someone writes the textbooks you are reading.... Surely, somewhere out there is a college waiting to be discovered. Where do you start? Look down at the keyboard, the answers are out there, just start typing.

Monday, February 11, 2013

UPDATE: Although Facebook has NOT updated the user guidelines, they appear to be ignoring those who have infringed on this part of the agreement. I still stand by this post, but the risk may be worth it for some. NOTE: Comments have been disabled for this post.

I know, you've already received one post from me today. But this Facebook issue has come up so many times recently I really want you to know the truth before you take any action!

I have seen a lot of advice
lately encouraging writers to convert their personal profile to a fan/author
page. That advice alone won’t necessarily get you in trouble, but the follow-up
comment definitely will.

Last week I started again
with the basics of Twitter. Here’s the link to Why Bother With Twitter, in case
you missed it.

Today I want to concentrate
on how to take advantage of your Twitter profile settings. There are several
parts of your profile settings that, when utilized effectively, can net you
more followers. When done correctly, your profile will enhance and establish
your brand, as well as give potential followers a clear picture of your
passions and what they can expect when they follow you on Twitter.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

“Therefore do not fear
them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that
will not be known.” Matthew 10:26

It was our first night in
Disney World as husband and wife. There was hardly a more magical place on
earth to spend our honeymoon, yet I had just awakened with one of the worst
nightmares ever.

I shook my husband of two nights awake and began to babble
hysterically about an ax murderer whom I was certain had gotten into our cabin.
The more he tried to reason with me, the more inconsolable I became. It was
only after he physically got out of bed and checked all the doors and windows
that I began to calm down and realize how ridiculous I’d been.

As I look back thirty plus
years on the woman I’d been it’s easy to shake my head over the irrational
behavior. I mean I’m much more mature now, able to look at any and all situations
with calm, logical eyes, and sound judgment.

Don’t I wish…

Truthfully, I can still find myself as trapped
by the irrational as ever. But just like my patient husband so many years ago,
God is always there to hold and comfort me. He leads me to the solid ground of
sound judgment just as patiently as Kirk did. God is always close, no matter how
dark the night or scary the situation.

Friday, February 8, 2013

It’s not that agent who
won’t represent you. Nor is it the gate keeper editor at the big pub house.
It’s not even the critic or book reviews. The biggest roadblock writers face is
that mugshot we see in the mirror each and every morning.

Seriously.

Writers stand in the way of
our progress down the writing road more than any other obstacle. And, since we
writers are blessed with great imaginations, we concoct all sorts of horrible
endings for us along the journey. They’re just waiting to derail us around the
next bend. Or are they?

Thursday, February 7, 2013

I won’t share the photos. Trust me, it wasn’t pretty and it
seriously messed up my writing plans.

There was an upside—the injury also resulted in several weeks
away from ironing, cleaning, and anything else I could use my overactive
imagination to describe as “potentially painful.” Care to guess the one thing that was not off limits?

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

I’m enjoying getting to know
you through my wife’s blog. You’ve all made me feel welcome, and even helped me
as I get to know what to expect with a writing wife.

Many of you may not know
that by day I’m an engineer. I have my own business and work out of our home.
Because of this, Edie and I have shared an office for almost fifteen years.
Lately, I’ve noticed a new symptom that appears to have come from rooming with
a writer.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

You have a deadline, you have to turn something in to your boss or professor and you're running out of time.

What do you do? How do you fight with the blankness in the recesses of your mind? You can't think.... You have no ideas, or too many ideas. Mentally you are swimming, but the deadline is there. That looming deadline is staring you in the face, and sticking it's tongue out at you.

Monday, February 4, 2013

TwitterandFacebookare just part of the new digital paradigm—and they’re here to stay. But deciding how to integrate them into your writing life can be tough. Today I’m going to give you a few pointers that should help.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

The Lord is the one who
goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do
not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

The day had been just one
more drop in the bucket of chaos that described my week. My email inbox
overflowed, I’d missed a deadline, my dog threw up. We’d been fighting car
issues, appliance issues, and just all-round insanity.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

On Saturdays I will be posting an image that you are welcome to use and share. All I ask is that you give me credit for the images. These will be pictures and graphics that I create, and will be shareable on Facebook, Pinterest, Blogs, whatever medium you wish to use.They are also great to use for writing prompts, when you need a jumpstart for your creative engine.Enjoy the gift!Edie

Friday, February 1, 2013

I know what you’re thinking. Reba is going to talk about
head hopping or lack of conflict in the story. Those definitely could derail
your efforts of getting published, but they aren’t the worst mistake a writer
can make.